


Of Differences and Similarities

by nanuk_dain



Series: Of Soldiers and Secrets [15]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-25
Updated: 2011-09-25
Packaged: 2017-10-24 00:51:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/257018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A revelation in Zell am See. Or: How Lipton and Speirs come to an understanding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Differences and Similarities

  
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](http://pics.livejournal.com/nanuk_dain/pic/0008xqg1)   


 

Sometimes, Ron wondered if there were two different people living in Carwood Lipton's body. There was the man he was as Easy's second lieutenant: caring and kind, yet strict where he had to be, without ever raising his voice or pulling his rank. This man was a little bit innocent and with such a deep and sincere decency that it always took Ron by surprise, every single time.

The man on the battlefield, in the heat of combat, was an entirely different person. He was as efficient and as concerned for the men as the other Lipton, but he was more ruthless, more daring. A lot deadlier. He was a warrior to the core: his voice was darker, his commands were harsher. He had no soft side. He was the man Ron wanted to know had his back when they were in combat.

Maybe there were even three people, Ron mused. The man who shared his bed – or his bedroll, depending on the situation –, the man who showed him his affection with an ease that sometimes left Ron breathless, was so different from the man on the battlefield or the second lieutenant. He was open in a way the others were not. He smiled easily. He dared to touch because he knew his touch would be welcome. There was no professional façade when that man came through, there was only plain emotion and deep, satisfying kisses that meant so much more than just a touch of lips.

It was this man whom Ron trusted with something he valued more than his life: his own, sincere emotions. He knew that a bullet could never tear him apart in the way Carwood Lipton could. In fact, a bullet would hurt less. He also knew that Carwood would never let that happen, knew deep down in his stomach, in that corner where the instincts lived, that Carwood would always keep that part of him safe, treasure it and protect it with his life.

Just like Ron would do anything to keep him safe. He'd never expected to meet somebody whom he'd give his unconditional trust, but Carwood had made him do many thing he'd never expected to do. Like watching Carwood sleep and reflecting on how his life had changed since their rather accidental meeting.

He loved doing that: watching Carwood sleep, content and spent after hours of love-making, sometimes slow, sometimes passionate. There was a little smile on Carwood's lips, even now in sleep, and Ron couldn't stop looking at him. He was so beautiful, so perfect, with all his flaws, with all his scars, visible and invisible. He was strong and supportive, passionate and earnest, sometimes deliciously debauched yet always decent. He was never afraid of Ron. He stood up to Ron's moods, to his faults, and told him when he was wrong. Yet Ron knew he'd always have his back, knew that he could always rely on Carwood's fierce loyalty, his profound yet subtle protectiveness.

He was everything Ron had ever wanted. Everything Ron had never expected he'd want.

With a smile, one that he rarely ever showed, Ron passed a finger over Carwood's brows, along his nose, to his beautiful lips. He traced along the reddish scar on Carwood's cheek. Although he hadn't really known him back when it had happened, Ron still felt a pull inside him, this painful little clenching of his intestines, when he thought about how close he'd come to never meeting this man. Earlier this evening Ron had paid homage to the big brother of this scar, down on the inside of Carwood's right thigh, as red and puckered as the one on his face, but so much more sensitive to his touch. It made Carwood shiver when Ron let his tongue trail its itinerary, made his eyes fall shut and his breath come in stutters. Ron loved seeing him like that, open and vulnerable and trusting.

Slowly, Ron let his fingers wander over the light stubble on Carwood's jaw, over his neck and into his hair. He was rewarded with a slight widening of that beautiful little smile, although Carwood didn't wake. Ron lay down close to him, let his head come to rest on Carwood's pillow, and he slid his hand over the skin of his shoulder. Carwood made a small noise and pressed closer, until he lay along Ron's side, one arm wrapped possessively around his waist. Ron just smiled again, tightened his hold on Carwood's shoulder, and closed his eyes.

***

Carwood enjoyed the quiet of the early morning. Even more so, he enjoyed the peace of Zell am See, the solitude and the tranquillity that came with having a private room. He enjoyed the distance from the men that allowed him to lie there, propped up on his elbow, naked under the sheets except for his dog tags, one leg draped over Ron's, pressed along his side.

Watching him sleep, all guards down. Beautiful in the trust he showed.

It was a trust that Carwood knew he was the only person to experience. It humbled him, made him feel small and huge at the same time, made him feel protective in a way he had never experienced with anybody before. At first he hadn't realised how much of a privilege he was given, hadn't realised that this favour was exclusive, given to him alone. Ron never did anything halfway. Now Carwood understood that he didn't give himself halfway, either.

Ron gave everything or nothing.

Sometimes, when they were alone, Ron surprised him. With his openly displayed affection. With his need to touch that he seemed to be unaware of. With the ease of his smile. With the warmth in his eyes and in his every touch. Those were things Carwood never saw him display outside of their enclosed bubble of rare privacy. It made them all the more precious, made every caress all the more significant, made every smile all the more important.

Carwood looked down where his hand rested on Ron's chest, palm flat against the warm skin. He loved how Ron reacted to his touch. How he turned passionate and fierce in their lovemaking. How he let go of his control and trusted Carwood to take it. How he surrendered to Carwood just because he knew he could, because he loved it and trusted Carwood to never abuse the vulnerability he allowed to show. Sometimes Carwood wondered what made Ron trust him so much.

Times were hard, it was war – or had been, until a few weeks ago – and the bonds forged under the duress of these circumstances were bound to be different from anything anyone could experience in the normal, civilised world. A world far away from the mindless violence, the countless death and the immense cruelty a person couldn't even begin to imagine if they hadn't seen it. But this went deeper even than those bonds, and Carwood knew that whatever would happen after their time in Austria, he wouldn't be able to return state-side and go on with the life he'd led before the war. Wouldn't be able to forget about the things he'd experienced in Europe.

Wouldn't be able to forget Ron. Ever.

What he didn't know was what he was supposed to do once their service was over. He'd lived inside those military boundaries for so long that he found it difficult to imagine a life without them. He didn't know what Ron would do, either. Carwood's gaze fell on the dog tags that lay against the skin of Ron's chest, and he reached out slowly and passed his finger over the metal. It was warm from Ron's body heat, the letters little elevated dots against his fingertips. There were scratches on the surface, dents on the edges, stains caused by sweat and blood that never truly washed away.

Ron would most likely stay in the military. Carwood's hand pressed flat over the dog tags, then his fingers curled around them. Ron shifted slightly, then he took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

Carwood looked at him, gaze serious, his hand fisted tightly around Ron's dog tags. “I won't ever let you go.”

Ron looked at him sleepily for a moment, then a beautiful warm smile appeared on his lips and he closed his hand over Carwood's. “Who says I want you to?”

**Author's Note:**

> Banner made by the awesome Megan_Moonlight!


End file.
